Front-radius-rod brace for motor-vehicles.



c. W. MURPHY AND w. 1. Bamm. FRONT `RADIUS vROD BRACE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.`

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,1918-v Patented My 6,1919. l

C. W. MURPHY AND W. I. BRITTAIN. FRONT RADIUS ROD BRACE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILIED IUNE-4. I9I8. 4 1,302,698,- r Patndmay 6,1919.

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To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. MURPHY and WILLIAM J. BnrrTAIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Holdenville, in

.ingl particularly designed 4 for attachment to vehicles of the Ford type, and has as its pri mary object to provide a deviceoifv this char acter adapted to rigidly brace the iront radius rods of the vehicle with respect to the front axle.

'-llhe invention has as a further object to provide a brace adapted to extend between the crotch of the front radius rods and the lower sidev of the front axle of the vehicle so that the brace will thus not only rigidly support the radius rods with respect to the axle but will also brace the axle against any tendency toward tilting or axial movement.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a brace which may be initially applied with ease and which may be readily adjusted to bind between the radius l rods and front axleof the vehicle.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds. In the drawings wherein ll have illustrated the preferred erntiti bodiment of the invention, and wherein sin1ilar reference characters designate correspending parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a plan view showing our im proved brace in connection with the 'front axle'and front radius rods of a vehicle ot the Ford type, v

Fig: 2 is a rear elevation more particularly illustrating the disposition of the brace beneath the radius rods,

Fig. V3 is a transverse sectional view taken oli-the linevS-B of Fig-1 and looking in the direction 'of the arrows, this view show- 'ing the connection between the truss rods oi? the brace and the front axle oi? the vehicle and' being partlybrokenyaway to illustrate the* adjustable connection between the brace rods and the fork employed at the crotch of the radius rods,

Fig. 4lis a perspective view showing; one

. of the truss rods in detail,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the brace fork in detail, and

,of said terminals.

lFipg. d is a fragmentary sectional view showing a slight inodiiication of the inven tion.

In order that the construction, mounting and operationoi our brace may be accurately understood we have, in the drawings, shown the device in connection with thc front radius rods, iront axle and associated parts oit a cfniventional motor vehicle of the Ford type. bln the drawings, the front axle is indicated at l0. Connected to this axle adj acent ojiposite ends thereof are the brackets l1 :tor the -front springr of the vehicle. rl` hese brackets are, particularly shown `1n Fig.

El oi" the drawings, formed with reduced.

shanlcs l2 which extend through the aille and are secured at their lower ends by nuts 13 threaded upon the said shanks. Connectedlwith the brackets above the axle are the front radius rods 14C provided at'their for ward. ends 'with reduced terminals l5 which extend through the said brackets and are secured by nuts threaded on the outer ends rll`he rods lll: converge toward their rear ends and are united by a head l5 adapted for operative connection with the casing; of the vehicle engine in the usual nianner.`

Concilie` now incre particularly to the subject ot the present invention, we employ coacting tubular truss rods 1G. Cnc ot these roc s is shown in detail in Fig. l of the drawings and., as there illustrated, said rods are dcliected laterally adjacent the outer ends thereof and are formed with ofiset flattened terminals 17 which are provided with openings 18. ln connection with the truss rods we further employ a connecting fork i9 between the inner ends of the said rods. This fork is shown in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The fork 19 is formed with diveriring threaded "fork arms 2O united at r inserted in the inner ends ot the truss when the nuts le upon the til) dll:

llltl `lower ends of the spring bracket shanksare removed and the iiattened terminals 17 of the truss rods iitted over the said shanks against the lower edge of the front axle. The

-head 21 of the fork 19 is then engaged in the crotch of the front radius rods 14 by its forked seat 22 which, as shown 1n Fig. 3 of the drawings, is formed to fit around the said crotch. The brace is thus connected at its inner end With the truss rods. The nuts 23 upon the fork arms 20 are then adjusted -outwardly upon the said arm for tightly binding the brace between the crotch of the truss rods and the lower edge of the front axle, when the nuts 24 are positioned for` locking the nuts 23 at adjustment. Thus, it

will be seen that the brace will, as a whole,

act as a rigid strut between the front axle of the vehicle and the crotch of the radius rods and will rigidly support the said rods with respect to the axle. Furthermore, it will be seen that the brace will act to 'rigidly support the aXle at its lower edge and will thus tend I to prevent turning or axial movement of the aXle with respect to the radius rods. IVe, therefore, provide a particularly simple and efficient construction for the purpose set forth and a'device which may be readily applied without the necessity for any structural change in the motor vehicle. Furthermore, it will be noted that we also provide a device wherein any looseness developing in the brace or in the front radius rods may be readily taken up from time to time as occasion may demand.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have illustrated a slight modiiication of the invention which relates more particularly to the interposition of helical springs 25 between the nuts 23 upon the fork arms and the inner ends of the truss rods 16, these springs beingl arranged to surround the said fork arms. Otherwise, this modification is constructed in accordance with the preferred :form of the invention-and it will be seen that by cinploying the said springs, the brace will be permitted toA yield under extreme stress so as to obviate thel possibility of breaking of the truss rods.

. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1. A device of the character described including independent truss rods, a connecting fork for the rods having fork arms, a crotch engaging head rigid with the arms, the arins being loosely engaged with said rods, and means for adjusting the fork longitudinally with respect to the rods.

2. A device of the character described including independent truss rods, a connecting fork for the rods having fork arms, a crotch engaging head integral with and extending from the juncture of the arms, the arms being loosely engaged with said rods, and means for adjusting the fork longitudinally with respect to the rods.

3. A device of the character described including independent truss rods, a connecting fork for the rods having fork arms, a head carried by the fork and adapted to engage in the crotch of the front radius rods of a' vehicle for holding the fork against rotation about the longitudinal axis of the head, the arms being loosely engaged with said rods, and means for adjusting the fork longitudinally with respect to the rod.

4L. In a front radius rod brace for motor vchicles, the combination of independent truss rods connected at their outer ends with the front axle of the vehicle, a connecting fork for the rods having fork arms loosely cngaged with the inner ends of said rods, means carried by the fork and engaging in the crotch of the front radius rods of the vehicle for holding the fork against turning movement, and means for adjusting the fork longitudinally with respect to the rods.-

CHARLES J. MURPHY. WILLIAM J. BRITTAIN.

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